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China's threatened boycott
August, 19o5.]
:Voles and Comments.
157
upon devices, and by means certainly effective, in order to try and ffrevent such difficulties. A city in the far W e s t spent over one million dollars securing new sources of supply so that the algal-p,olluted reservoirs might be abandoned. In the South we have a case where the alga~ led the local authorities to take steps to cause the franchise of the water company to be forfeited, on the ground that they were not furnishing a potable water. The company had spent thousands of dollars in mechanical filters and other devices, without results, and t h e r e was no alternative but to install a new supply at a cost of double the one already in use. It is needless to say that a question of ~o much financial importance has been investigated exhaustively from the so-called practical side, and various r e c o m m e n d a tions made, all of little or no effect. Finally, the difficulty was relegated to the botanists, who t o o k hold of the problem from the purely scientific standpoint and showed how certain plants were the specific cause of the trouble. It was then a comparatively simple matter, by applying the knowledge gained years ago by Naegeli and others in botanical research, to find a r e m e d y for the difficulty. The only w o n d e r is that it was not thou,ght of before. Within the last six m o n t h s the m e t h o d of d e s t r o y i n g or preventing the g r o w t h of algae in water supplies, as devised by the Department of Agriculture, has been used with marked success in over fifty water supplies t h r o u g h o u t the country, on a scale running into the hundreds of millions of gallons, and causing a saving of m o n e y difficult to es-
timate.--Scienti[ic American Suppleme~tt. ACTIVITIES OF THE LAKE SHIPYARDS. With sixteen vessels under order at Lake shipyards for delivery in 19o6 practically all available berths are now taken a year ahead, a condition never existing before. With repairs, the l e n g t h e n i n g of vessels and further orders p e n d i n g for new vessels, full occupation for the lake yards seems now assured for eighteen months. The sixteen vessels, as above, added to t h o s e finished, or to be finished, this year, make a total of forty new boats, with a total ore carrying capacity on one trip of 360.50o tons. In a season, estimating twenty trips, they could carry 7,21o, ooo tons of ore. Such an u n p r e c e d e n t e d addition to the lake fleet suggests large exp,ectations as to the increase in iron ore shipments in the next few years.--
Iron Age. CHINA'S THREATENED
BOYCOTT.
The t h r e a t e n e d boycott of A m e r i c a n goods in China should be very easily remedied if the resolutions of the Shanghai Chamber of C o m m e r c e reflect the general Chinese position. It appears that there is no complaint of the exclusion of the Chinese laborer. The resolution of the C h a m b e r of Commerce, a d d r e s s e d to the Board of F o r e i g n Affairs of the Chinese Government, states: " W e beg to inform you tha]t the community are discontented with the present situation, and all those connected with this body have decided to cease all traffic in American g o o d s until such time as a satisfactory s e t t l e m e n t is arrived at. As this matter concerns all classes
15 8
Notes and Com,neJtls--Bcok Notices.
[J. F. I.,
t h r o u g h o u t China we sincerely desire t h a t you will instruet our Minister to withhold his s i g n a t u r e until the r i g h t of e n t r y into A m e r i e a is accorded all traders, students and gentry." If a system could b e developed so that t h e classes n a m e d m i g h t be ~given the r i g h t of e n t r y w i t h o u t m a k i n g posslble the wholesale m i g r a t i o n of Chinese, p r o b a b l y no one would object. A m e r i c a does n o t wish to see h e r goods b o y c o t t e d at a time when the k e e n e s t efforts are b e i n g made by E u r o p e to get m o r e t h a n its share of t h e Chinese trade, the t r e m e n d o u s future possibilities of which are being b e t t e r and b e t t e r understood.---Iron Age.
COAL PRODUCTION. R e p o r t s to the U n i t e d States Geological Survey for I9O4, as collected by Mr. E d w a r d W. Parker, statistician, show t h a t the p r o d u c t i o n of coal last year a m o u n t e d to 35I,I96,953 s h o r t tons, h a v i n g a total value at the mines of $445,643,528. C o m p a r e d with I9O3 this shows a falling off of 6,I58,463 s h o r t tons in quantity, and of $58,080,853 in value. This decrease, a l t h o u g h p r o p o r t i o n a t e l y large in the figures of value, does n o t indicate a n y interruption to the generally p r o s p e r o u s conditions which have prevailed d u r i n g the last eight years. It was simp,ly a natural r e a c t i o n from the a b n o r m a l activity which had been m a i n t a i n e d t h r o u g h o u t the coal mining regions in I9o3, due to the e x h a u s t i o n of all coal stocks on h a n d by the m e m o r a b l e strike of I9o2. I n o r d e r to r e n e w the coal stocks and at the same time to provide fuel for immediate use, t h e coal mines in I9o3 were pushed to their u t m o s t capacity, or, one should p r o b a b l y say, to the capacity of the railroads to handle the output. As a result the e n o r m o u s p r o d u c t i o n of 357,356,416 s h o r t tons was recorded. Prices raised hig'h by the famine of I9O2 r e m a i n e d high for a large part of the year, and the total value of coal at the mines, before any expense of t r a n s p o r t a t i o n or selling costs had been added, a m o u n t e d to $5o3,724,38I, an increase of $i36,6oo,ooo over t h a t of I9o2. The p r o d u c t i o n in I9O4, while less t h a n that of I9o 3 by 6,I59,463 s h o r t tons, exhibits a n o r m a l increase w h e n c o m p a r e d with the annual p r o d u c t i o n d u r i n g the ten p r e c e d i n g years. T h e average t~rice for all coal mined and sold in I9O4 was $I.27, as comppared with $I.4I in I9O3, and $I.22 in I9o2. Some day it will be i n t e r e s t i n g to have b r o u g h t out the effect of water power development, etc., in reducing coal production.
T H E CORPORATION
OF THE MASSACHUSETTS
INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
has voted in favor of the p r o p o s e d alliance with H a r v a r d University. The faculty and alumni of the institute were in a large majority opposed to this union, but the action of the c o r p o r a t i o n is l~resumed to be final. The identity of the institute will be retained, and it will have the income of the various funds which n o w support the L a w r e n c e Scientific School, as well as the income of the large M c K a y endowment. T h e alliance as proposed c o n t e m p l a t e s the erection of a new h o m e for the institute on the Charles River, at a point about opposite H a r v a r d U n i v e r s i t y in Cambridge.
:Voles and Comments.
157
upon devices, and by means certainly effective, in order to try and ffrevent such difficulties. A city in the far W e s t spent over one million dollars securing new sources of supply so that the algal-p,olluted reservoirs might be abandoned. In the South we have a case where the alga~ led the local authorities to take steps to cause the franchise of the water company to be forfeited, on the ground that they were not furnishing a potable water. The company had spent thousands of dollars in mechanical filters and other devices, without results, and t h e r e was no alternative but to install a new supply at a cost of double the one already in use. It is needless to say that a question of ~o much financial importance has been investigated exhaustively from the so-called practical side, and various r e c o m m e n d a tions made, all of little or no effect. Finally, the difficulty was relegated to the botanists, who t o o k hold of the problem from the purely scientific standpoint and showed how certain plants were the specific cause of the trouble. It was then a comparatively simple matter, by applying the knowledge gained years ago by Naegeli and others in botanical research, to find a r e m e d y for the difficulty. The only w o n d e r is that it was not thou,ght of before. Within the last six m o n t h s the m e t h o d of d e s t r o y i n g or preventing the g r o w t h of algae in water supplies, as devised by the Department of Agriculture, has been used with marked success in over fifty water supplies t h r o u g h o u t the country, on a scale running into the hundreds of millions of gallons, and causing a saving of m o n e y difficult to es-
timate.--Scienti[ic American Suppleme~tt. ACTIVITIES OF THE LAKE SHIPYARDS. With sixteen vessels under order at Lake shipyards for delivery in 19o6 practically all available berths are now taken a year ahead, a condition never existing before. With repairs, the l e n g t h e n i n g of vessels and further orders p e n d i n g for new vessels, full occupation for the lake yards seems now assured for eighteen months. The sixteen vessels, as above, added to t h o s e finished, or to be finished, this year, make a total of forty new boats, with a total ore carrying capacity on one trip of 360.50o tons. In a season, estimating twenty trips, they could carry 7,21o, ooo tons of ore. Such an u n p r e c e d e n t e d addition to the lake fleet suggests large exp,ectations as to the increase in iron ore shipments in the next few years.--
Iron Age. CHINA'S THREATENED
BOYCOTT.
The t h r e a t e n e d boycott of A m e r i c a n goods in China should be very easily remedied if the resolutions of the Shanghai Chamber of C o m m e r c e reflect the general Chinese position. It appears that there is no complaint of the exclusion of the Chinese laborer. The resolution of the C h a m b e r of Commerce, a d d r e s s e d to the Board of F o r e i g n Affairs of the Chinese Government, states: " W e beg to inform you tha]t the community are discontented with the present situation, and all those connected with this body have decided to cease all traffic in American g o o d s until such time as a satisfactory s e t t l e m e n t is arrived at. As this matter concerns all classes
15 8
Notes and Com,neJtls--Bcok Notices.
[J. F. I.,
t h r o u g h o u t China we sincerely desire t h a t you will instruet our Minister to withhold his s i g n a t u r e until the r i g h t of e n t r y into A m e r i e a is accorded all traders, students and gentry." If a system could b e developed so that t h e classes n a m e d m i g h t be ~given the r i g h t of e n t r y w i t h o u t m a k i n g posslble the wholesale m i g r a t i o n of Chinese, p r o b a b l y no one would object. A m e r i c a does n o t wish to see h e r goods b o y c o t t e d at a time when the k e e n e s t efforts are b e i n g made by E u r o p e to get m o r e t h a n its share of t h e Chinese trade, the t r e m e n d o u s future possibilities of which are being b e t t e r and b e t t e r understood.---Iron Age.
COAL PRODUCTION. R e p o r t s to the U n i t e d States Geological Survey for I9O4, as collected by Mr. E d w a r d W. Parker, statistician, show t h a t the p r o d u c t i o n of coal last year a m o u n t e d to 35I,I96,953 s h o r t tons, h a v i n g a total value at the mines of $445,643,528. C o m p a r e d with I9O3 this shows a falling off of 6,I58,463 s h o r t tons in quantity, and of $58,080,853 in value. This decrease, a l t h o u g h p r o p o r t i o n a t e l y large in the figures of value, does n o t indicate a n y interruption to the generally p r o s p e r o u s conditions which have prevailed d u r i n g the last eight years. It was simp,ly a natural r e a c t i o n from the a b n o r m a l activity which had been m a i n t a i n e d t h r o u g h o u t the coal mining regions in I9o3, due to the e x h a u s t i o n of all coal stocks on h a n d by the m e m o r a b l e strike of I9o2. I n o r d e r to r e n e w the coal stocks and at the same time to provide fuel for immediate use, t h e coal mines in I9o3 were pushed to their u t m o s t capacity, or, one should p r o b a b l y say, to the capacity of the railroads to handle the output. As a result the e n o r m o u s p r o d u c t i o n of 357,356,416 s h o r t tons was recorded. Prices raised hig'h by the famine of I9O2 r e m a i n e d high for a large part of the year, and the total value of coal at the mines, before any expense of t r a n s p o r t a t i o n or selling costs had been added, a m o u n t e d to $5o3,724,38I, an increase of $i36,6oo,ooo over t h a t of I9o2. The p r o d u c t i o n in I9O4, while less t h a n that of I9o 3 by 6,I59,463 s h o r t tons, exhibits a n o r m a l increase w h e n c o m p a r e d with the annual p r o d u c t i o n d u r i n g the ten p r e c e d i n g years. T h e average t~rice for all coal mined and sold in I9O4 was $I.27, as comppared with $I.4I in I9O3, and $I.22 in I9o2. Some day it will be i n t e r e s t i n g to have b r o u g h t out the effect of water power development, etc., in reducing coal production.
T H E CORPORATION
OF THE MASSACHUSETTS
INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
has voted in favor of the p r o p o s e d alliance with H a r v a r d University. The faculty and alumni of the institute were in a large majority opposed to this union, but the action of the c o r p o r a t i o n is l~resumed to be final. The identity of the institute will be retained, and it will have the income of the various funds which n o w support the L a w r e n c e Scientific School, as well as the income of the large M c K a y endowment. T h e alliance as proposed c o n t e m p l a t e s the erection of a new h o m e for the institute on the Charles River, at a point about opposite H a r v a r d U n i v e r s i t y in Cambridge.